Heather Hanson

JMC 2033-011
October 18, 2010
Feature Article

Linda Harris
10-17-10
405-392-2905

Kayleigh James
10-17-10
405-620-5567

Susan Lunsford
10-17-10
405-392-4848
 Women fought for their rights, won their rights, but still there are some

negative reactions to women speaking their mind. Society has fallen a step

behind and succumbed to a few womanizing ways as of late and it is the young

women of today’s responsibility to take notice and demand otherwise.

There are many women with admirable success and power in

communities but the ones who make the biggest impact on the young minds

have different priorities. Their main focus leans towards the over all seduction of

their audience.

Kayleigh James, 20 years old, said, “ The women role models are less

than admirable,” when speaking of celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Katy

Perry. “I know my friends and I can look at them and laugh about the image they

give, but the 14 year old girls don’t know to do that yet.”

These types of celebrities have the risqué factor that always gets them

noticed in a hurry. Teenagers get through their awkward phase and start

searching for ways to get all of the attention they can. If they see Paris Hilton

getting arrested for drugs or having another sex tape scandal, they could modify

that to their setting to get just as much attention in their community.

A solution to this is not necessarily to direct the attention away from those

celebrities, especially since that is almost impossible, but to empower the next

generation. Teaching girls to look behind the 15 minutes of fame at a younger

age and encouraging the ones who do to speak up if they see bad behavior in

their friends and more importantly their significant others. Speaking is the key,

but it is not natural to everyone and there are some other factors to consider.
 Linda Harris, 63 years old, has always been the outspoken daughter in her

family. For her, speaking her mind is second nature but she knows from

experience with her niece and granddaughter how different people can handle

her honest ways. Her granddaughter is very quiet and mellow person who looks

up to people like Rihanna and Ke$ha. They are not quite the Paris Hiltons of the

celebrity world but here’s the other example.

Her niece is outgoing and outspoken. She has a very short filter between

her mind and her mouth, but she receives more attention and authority than her

cousin.

As the girls have experienced relationships with guys, Harris said that her

niece stands up for herself and does not let men tell her how she will behave.

Her quiet granddaughter, though, has walked into some dangerous situations

because she believes her role is to not say anything because she is the girl.

“We might be the naturally weaker role, but we have just as much right to

be respected and just as much mind power as men. Women are people too.

They think and have feelings just like males, so why should they have to be quiet

and not have a chance to speak up?” said Harris.

“Women think more and have way more feelings than guys could ever

imagine,” said Susan Lunsford, 50 years old, an even more outspoken woman,

when she heard Harris’ statement.

Young women recognize the expectations society has of women in a

relationship.
 James said, “Guys don’t like women to be the alpha. They get intimidated

and react badly to a woman saying what she wants or telling them no.”

Men need to realize that honesty and opinions are not a bad quality and

do not make a woman a diehard feminist. Everyone deserves the truth and

should focus on their delivery more than trying to sugar coat anything.

Lunsford said, “Anyone can be brutally honest, but the highest level of

respect is required to be outspoken and not just rude.”

She sees the world in black and white and loves people to be completely

honest with her, “because that is the truth in their eyes.”

“People will ask me to sugar coat my advice, but when I do, they just call

me a bitch. So why kind of lie and be called names than just telling it how it is?”

asked Lunsford.

All of the women agree that there are times to hold back your opinion, but

that is all a part of the package of being outspoken. First you must find the nerve

to say what you think. Next you have to learn to not flinch when someone tries to

take that away from you. And finally, finding the balance of respect, honesty, and

good timing to reach a healthy direction for your opinions can make you not only

outspoken but heard too.